Case Study

Measuring stress in breathing

apparatus cylinders
The Problem
Luxfer Gas Cylinders have been manufacturing high-pressure self-contained
breathing apparatus (SCBA) and life-support cylinders for fire-fighters and
first-responders since the early 1970s. Cylinders are required to be increasingly
lightweight, efficient and safe storage solutions. Advanced carbon fibre-wrapped
aluminium construction methods and a fabrication process called autofrettage aim
to reduce weight and increase maximum working pressures of cylinders. However,
since cylinders can be exposed to demanding conditions, it is critical that their
structural integrity be maintained.

The Challenge
Luxfer wanted to characterise stress states inside cylinders both as-manufactured
and after being subjected to a standard drop test, the most common damage
mechanism. This required cylinders to be measured in a non-destructive manner
so that the same samples could be used for both tests, thus allowing Luxfer to
understand the effect of autofrettage pressure more accurately.

The Solution
A team of material engineers from Luxfer, University of Southampton and Diamond
used energy dispersive diffraction (EDX) performed on beamline I12 to characterise
the autofrettage process and evaluate the effect of impact damage on gas cylinders.
The high energy polychromatic X-rays available on I12 can penetrate through
significant thicknesses of samples, allowing measurements that would not be
feasible using lab-based diffraction equipment.

The Benefits
Pioneering diffraction measurements carried out at Diamond allowed direct
measurement of stress states inside as-manufactured Luxfer SCBA cylinders.
Results were compared with lab-based micro-computed tomography and current
finite element models, providing base information to improve current models. The
combination of imaging and diffraction provides a powerful set of tools to evaluate
damage-caused impact.
Luxfer Gas Cylinders are delighted with the excellent
information obtained as a result of our collaboration with
Diamond Light Source and the University of Southampton. The
results achieved will assist greatly in the development of our
lightweight composite cylinders.

Image to
come

Dr Warren Hepples, Luxfer Gas Cylinders Europe

Prof. Ian Sinclair & Dr Anna Scott, University of Southampton

For further information please contact

the Diamond Industrial Liaison Office on

+44 1235 778797

industry@diamond.ac.uk
www.diamond.ac.uk/industry
Diamond Light Source Limited 2013

Case Study

For further information please contact

the Diamond Industrial Liaison Office on

+44 1235 778797

industry@diamond.ac.uk
www.diamond.ac.uk/industry
Diamond Light Source Limited 2013